Can double-seaming machine



Jan. 2, 1923. 1,441,195.

H. L. GUENTHER.

CAN DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINE.

FILED DEC-21.1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lnerenior ILL. Guent/zer Jan. 2, 1923. 1,441,195. H. L. GUENTHER.

CAN DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINE.

FILED DEC-21.1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I nirentor HL. Gal/anther By 4 W fliorney operate upon the Patented Jan.2, 1223.

units STATE ereur FFHGE.

CAN DOUBLE-SEAMING MACHINE.

Application filed December 21, 1921. Serial No. 523,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it li nown that I, HENRY L. GUENTHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can Double"'Seaming Machines, of which the following .is a specification.

This invention relates to double seaming machines and particularlypertains to multiple spindle machines of the revolving turret t e.

Tt is the principal object of the present invention to provide a doubleseaming machine for use in forming the seams between can bodies andtheir caps, which machine is so constructed as to rapidly and accuratelycans as they are passed through the machine and at the same time toinsure that a double seam will be formed in a workman-like manner, thestructure being decidedly simple in its arrangement of parts and thevarious elements operating in synchronism to insure that the machinewill function continuously and rapidly without possibility of mutilatingthe cans or of making undesirable seams.

The present invention contemplates the use of. a seaming machine havingtwo vertical turrets disposed parallel to each other,

each of said turrets being equipped with multiple spindles whereby thecan and its cap will be initially seamed when standing still or in aslow operation and will thereafter be rapidly spun to complete andthoroughly form the double seam.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanyingdrawing in which;

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing the complete machine withwhich the,

present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is a View in plan showing the machine in section and elevation asviewed on the line 22 of Fig. 1. 1

Referring more particularly to the drawings 10 indicates a base which ishere shown as supported on legs 11. This base is formed with a pluralityof vertical bearings disposed in parallel alignment. One of thesebearings is provided to receive the spindle 12 of a first operationturret 13-and another bearing receives the spindle 14 of a secondoperation turret 15. The exact construction and operation of the firstturret is described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No.523,823 filed concurrently herewith and entitled Double seamingmechanism.

The structure of the second operation turret has been disclosed in thedrawings and specifications of my co-pending application entitledSeaming head for double seaming machines, Serial Number 162,8415, filedApril 20th, 1921.

The first operation turret comprises a base portion, 16, carrying aplurality of vertical spindles 17., These spindles are disposed at equalintervals to each other around the member 16 and are reciprocal relativethereto. The upper ends of the spindles carry circular platforms 18 onto which cans may be delivered While the lower end of each spindle isfitted with a transverse pin 19 and a roller 20'1 The roller 20 projectsinwardly and engages the circular eccentric track of a cam structure 21.base'lO and is so designed as to reciprocate the spindles 17 as theturret revolves. Disposed above the portion 16 and mounted upon theshaft 12 is a spider 22. This spider is formed with four arms as moreclearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Each of these arms is provided with a semicircular recess 23 which willconform to the circumferential face of a can body. and by which the canswill be held in alignment with the platform 18 as the turret rotates.

Attention is directed to the fact that no provision is made on the firstturret for rotation of the can.

On the other end of the sleeve 12 is :1

The cam is fixed to the seaming head structure comprising a frame 23 anda roller support 24:. The frame is suitably fixed to the upper end ofthe sleeve 12 and provides bearings for a plurality of revolvingspindles 26. These spindles are held in longitudinal alignment with thelower spindle 17 of the platform and are complementary thereto.

The sleeves 12 receive a central shaft 27' which carries a gear 28 atits upper end. This gear is in mesh with a plurality of planetary gears29 which move around the central gear 28 and which are secured upon therespective spindles 26. The lower ends of each of the spindles 26 arefitted with the seaming roller 31 inwardly against the can and its top.

These cones are operated by means of.

shifting yokes 32 which are carried by shaft 33. These shafts extendupwardly and are fitted at their upper ends with rollers 34.

Rollers 34 pass along a circular track cam by \VlllCll they are given areciprocatlng .movement with the pins 33. It will there fore be evidentthat when a can is delivered to the first operation turret it is grippedwithin the bell member 35 and thus held by the platform 18 after whichit is carried around the turret for substantially threequarters of itsrevolution and is then delivered to a star wheel 35 During this travelof'the can it is acted upon by circumferentially moving seaming rolls 31which are pressed in against the can turning its seams while the canitself stands relatively stationary to the turret.

The star wheel delivers the can to the second operation turret 15. Themode of operation of this turret is different than that of the precedingone as the cans in this instance are rapidly spun while the seamingrollers are fixed relative to the seaming head. This is more clearlyshown in theapplication previously mentioned.

The second turret comprises the base portion 36 carrying a plurality ofspindles 37 similar in deslgn and function to the spindles 17 previouslydescribed. These spindles carry the can platforms 38 by which the cansare forced separately against pressure plates 39. The pressure platesare so formed as to fit within the recess in the top of the can cap andto hold the can in alignment while it is being rapidly-rotated. Theplates 39 are secured at the lower ends of spindles 40. These spindlesare rotatably supported within a head 41 which head is keyed to a sleeve14. Extending upwardly through the sleeve is a shaft 42. The upper endof the shaft 42 carries a gear 43. This gear is in mesh with a pluralityof planetary gears 44 secured to the respective spindles 40 and whichthese spindles are rotated. The platforms 38 are vertically reciprocatedby the spindles 37 as they are actuated by track cam 44 which camengages rollers 45 of the various spindles. This action is similar tothat of the platforms ,18. Attention is however prises a jack-shaft 51carrying a beveled gear 52. This gear is in mesh with a large beveledgear 53 secured to the lower end of an intermediate drive shaft 54. -Thedrive shaft 54 carries gears 55 and 55. The lowermost gear 55 is in meshwith gears 57 and 58. These gears are secured to the vertical shafts 27and 42 respectively. The gear 55 is in mesh with a gear 56 on an idlershaft, said gear 56 in turn meshing with gears 59 and 60, secured to thespindles 12 and 14 respectively.

In operation of the present invention, cans are delivered by a suitablefeed mechanism to the first turret 13. Here they are received by thevarious platforms 18. As received the platforms 18 will move upwardly bythe action of the rollers 20, traveling along the track cam 21. Thiswill cause the cans and their associated caps to be forced into the bellshaped member 35. At the same time the cans and caps will be movedforwardly by the rotation of the spider 20 and the complete turret.During this operation the spindles 26 will be revolving at a considerable rate of speed and willcause the rollers 31 to travel aroundthe top of the cans. At the same time the rollers 34 traveling along-theupper cam track 35 will be forced downwardly. The cones 30 will besimultaneously forced downwardly between the free swinging ends of the:support for the rollers 31. The various rollers will thus besimultaneously moved inwardly against the can while they are movingaround the can. After the can has traveled approximately three-quartersof the circumference of the turret, it will be transferred to the starwheel 35 and will thereafter be transmitted to the second operationturret 15. On this turret the spindles 37 will move upwardly causingtheplatform 38 to grip the can and hold it between the platform 38 and thepressure plate 39. These members are both rotating at a very high rateof speed and 'when engaging the cans will rapidly spin them. At the sametime the levers 50 of the final seaming rollers 49 will cause theserollers to swing inwardly against the circumferential edge of the seamand will complete the seam. After the can has traveled approximatelyhalf the circumference of the second turret it will be released and willthen be carried on to suitable conveying mechanisms by which it may bewithdrawn from the machine.

p In studying the structure and operation of the present invention itwill be noted that filled cans may be delivered to the machine with theleast possible agitation and that they will begripped between theplatforms 18 and within the recesses of the bell shaped canopies 35without great danger of slopping after which they will be held in thissteady position and the first seam formed by nannies rotation of theseaming rollers. When the seam has thus been initially made the can maybe spun without difficulty and when carried to the second turret theseam will be rapidly completed. It will thus be seen that due to thisstructure the filled cans may be rapidly passed through the machine andthoroughly double seamed, in fact operation of the machine has proventhat cans may be passed through the machine and filled at the rate of200 a minute. a

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to meit will be understood that various changes in the combination,construction, and arrangement of parts might be made by those skilled inthe art Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to tersPatent is:

1. A double seaming machine comprising a pair of continuously rotatingturrets, seam forming devices carried thereby, means whereby the firstof said seam forming devices will move around the can while the latteris stationary with respect to the turret, means for rotating the canrelative to the second turret, and means whereby the second of said seamforming devices operates as the can is thus rotated.

2. A double seaming mac ine comprissecure by Let ing first and secondcontinously rotating turrets, means for successively transferring cansfrom one turret to the other, a seaming device on the first turret,means for moving said device around the can as the can is carried by theturret in a stationary'condition with respect to the said turret, aseaming device on the second turret adapted to operate against the can,and means for revolving the can as it is carried by the second turret.

' 3. A double seaming machine comprising first and second continuouslyrotating turrets, means forming a part of the first turret by which acan may be gripped and held against rotation" with respect to the turretas the turret revolves, means travelling around the can and its capwhile thus held stationary to partially form a seam between the can andthe cap, means for transferring the a partially seamed cans to thesecond turret, means forming a part of the second turret for grippingthe cans and rotating them around their central axes, and can-seamingmeans for completing the seam between the can and its cap.

4. A double seaming machine comprising first and second continuouslyrotating turrets, an intermediate transferring means for carrying cansfrom one turret to the other, the first turret being formed withvertically reciprocable platforms onto which cans may be disposed,complementary centering devices disposed above said platforms and intowhich the upperends of the cans and their caps are projected, wherebythe cans are held stationary with respect to the turret can-seamingmeans encircling said upper ends of the cans for partially forming adouble seam between the can and its cap, while the can is carried by theturret in a stationary condition to the transferring means, said secondturret being provided with a plurality of vertically reciprocableplatforms onto which the cans may be delivered from the transfer means,upper plates cooperating with said platforms to grip the canstherebetween, means for rotating the cans thus gripped, and doubleseaming-means acting against the rotating can to complete the seambetween the cap and the can body.

'5. A double seaming machinecomprising a pair of parallel rotatingvertical turrets continuousl rotating in opposite directions, an intermeiate transfer means for transferring cans from the first turret to thesecond turret, the first turret being formed with -a plurality ofseparate vertically reciprocating platforms on which cans and theirassociated caps may be disposed, superposed cups 'into which the can andcap may be projected as the platforms rise to cause the cans to be heldstationary .with respect to the first turret, circularly travellingseaming means acting upon the can and its cap as the first turretadvances the can, the second turret comprising vertically moving canreceiving platforms onto which cans are delivered by the transfermeans,said platforms cooperating with pressure plates between the platformsand which a can may he clamped, means for rotating the can around itscentral axis while so clamped, and while being carried forward by theturret, and seaming means acting against the rotating cans.

HENRY L. GUENTHER.

